What if
by tvaddictlyfe
Summary: Brennan finds out she has a younger sister, Emerson, who has been living in foster care. This story starts during Season 1 Episode 12 'The superhero in the alley." And will continue up to the present episodes.
1. Surprise

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All credits go to the creator of the show.

Emerson's knee was shaking. A jimmy leg as her foster mom called it. She was so nervous. She couldn't believe she had actually done it. As she walked into the Jeffersonian she couldn't help but feel intimidated. This place was huge. She had to go through security just to get inside. After she made it through problem free she turned her attention towards looking for someone to point her in the right direction. She saw a guard.

"Excuse me?" She asked. "Hi I'm looking for Doctor Temperance Brennan. Can you tell me where I can find her?"

"Yeah let me escort you, civilians aren't allowed to go into the lab by themselves." He stood up and Emerson started following him. He turned around "Do you know Doctor Brennan? She doesn't take kindly to people just dropping on in?"

"Oh yeah, yeah we're old friends actually" Emerson said sheepishly.

"Mhm" said the security guard disbelievingly. He led her into a small room. "Okay now this is Dr. Brennan's office. I'll let her know she has a visitor and she'll be by soon. Don't wander around." And with that he walked out the door.

Emerson looked around. 'Wow' she thought 'it's so cool in here'. Dr. Brennan has a ton of artifacts from everywhere. She looked closer at a cool artifact that looked like a piece of ancient jewelry.

"Hello?" Emerson practically jumped; she hadn't heard anyone come in. When she turned it was Dr. Brennan standing there.

"Uh hi."

Dr. Brennan turned looking confuse, "Are you my visitor? Because if not somebody is wasting my very valuable time."

"Oh yeah I am I-, I just wanted to meet you." Dr. Brennan looked horribly confused. Emerson took a deep breath. "I think you're my sister."

Dr. Brennan looked like she was trying not to laugh. "I'm sorry but that is impossible, my parents aren't around anymore, and they haven't been since before you were born." She turned to walk out.

"Wait, I have my birth certificate" Dr. Brennan turned back, "my biological parents; Matt and Christine Brennan. And you're listed as the next of kin along with a Russell Brennan."

"That's impossible. Let me see that." She looked at it thoroughly and it was true. Her parent's names were on it. She flipped it over and sure enough hers and her brother's names were listed as next of kin." Dr. Brennan looked up at Emerson, and Emerson looked extremely nervous when a knocking on the door startled both of them.

"Excuse me Doctor Brennan, you have to see this."

"Okay Zack I'll be one minute." Zack nodded and left. Dr Brennan pulled out her phone. "Hello this is Doctor Brennan from the Jeffersonian. I need a medic, who will be prepared to take the blood of 2 separate test subjects and run a siblingship test to see if they are related, at your earliest convenience. Thank you."

"Uh you" She said pointing to Emerson, "What was your name again?"

"It's Emerson."

"Okay _Emerson._ I called a medic to come perform a blood test but they said they won't be here for another 15 minutes. So you'll have to come with me." Dr. Brennan turned and already started walking away.

Emerson sprinted to keep up with her quick pace.

Dr. Brennan approached the platform pulling on a pair of gloves, "Okay Zack what have we got?"

"Epiphyseal union with diaphysis on the wrist, knees and ankles suggests the victim was between 14 and 18 years old. 1.6 meters tall, a very slight build suggesting he was at the younger end of the scale." Zack answered promptly.

Dr. Brennan turned, "Hodgins"

"That track with the bag. The degraded cellulose we found is a graphic novel."

Angela came walking up, "Are you guys ready for me to do the facial reconstruction yet?"

Dr. Brennan closely examining the skull said, "No the face and cranial vault are badly fractured it could take a while."

This whole time Emerson was standing nearby feeling very out of place. Nobody seemed to notice her until she sneezed and quietly said "excuse me."

Everyone turned and looked at her.

Angela leaned towards Dr. Brennan. "Sweetie who is that?"

Dr. Brennan looked like she had forgotten Emerson was there. "Everybody this Emerson."

Emerson smiled nervously. Angela made a gesture for Brennan to continue. "Oh and she is possibly my sister."

Dr. Brennan picked up the skull. "Okay Zack I need you to-" Zack and Hodgins had their mouths agape.

"Brennan!" Angela cut her off. "What do you mean she's your sister?"

"Oh only possibly we ordered a-"

"Dr Brennan? You ordered a blood test for 2 test subjects." The approaching medic said.

"Yes we did, here Emerson you sit here" Dr. Brennan motioned to a chair and took one in the seat opposite.

"Do you know what blood type you are?"

"O negative" Dr. Brennan and Emerson replied in unison. The both looked embarrassed, like no way they could have the same blood type.

Emerson sat back in her chair while the medic started setting up. He brought the needle closer to her. Emerson jerked her arm. "Hey what are you doing? Do you not know how to draw blood?"

"No I did in med school." The medic stammered.

"Well that no excuse. First you have to tie the tourniquet around the ventipuncture site. Then find the vein, I'd recommend using this one because you can see it is already dilated."

"Do you want to do it?" The annoyed paramedic snapped.

Trying to be helpful and not at all sarcastic Emerson replied, "Well I can if you are unsure of how to do it?"

Zack, Angela and Hodgins were all watching. Angela leaned over to Hodgins and whispered, "Did you see that, she's like a mini Brennan. What are the chances that they're not related?"

Hodgins whispered back, "After seeing this I'd say 100 to 1."

After Emerson and Dr. Brennan successfully had their blood drawn Dr. Brennan said "Excellent job so far, keep working Zack I want those facial markers done soon." And walked away. Emerson stood feeling very confused until Angela came over.

"Hey sweetie why don't you come with us." Emerson reluctantly followed Angela, Zack and Hodgins up to a balcony overlooking the whole lab. Everyone sat down at a table.

Jack who was sitting next to Emerson was arguing with Zack about who the best superhero was, when Doctor Brennan came up and sat down next to Angela; across from Emerson.

"Okay, okay enough Hodgins. So" Angela turned towards Emerson. "Tell us about you self,"

Emerson replied, "Well there's not really that much to tell" she laughed nervously.

"Okay well why don't you tell us about your family, what's your family like?"

"Actually I'm in foster care…I was just reassigned recently and I live in DC."

Dr. Brennan jumped in, "Wait you're in foster care?"

The smile fell from Angela's face. "I'm sorry I didn't know."

"It's not that big of a deal." Emerson laughed nervously.

"Hey bones, come on we have to go question suspects are you coming today?" said Booth running up.

It snapped Brennan out of her daze and she leapt up, "Yeah of course. Oh wait" She looked at Emerson. "Um is it okay I have to go work?"

Emerson said "Oh yeah, I'm sorry for interrupting your work day." Dr. Brennan smiled and then followed Booth out.

As soon as Brennan left Emerson said "Well I should probably get going, it's a long subway ride back."

Angela stood up, "Oh do you want a ride? I don't mind really."

Emerson shook her head "No it's fine, thanks anyway. It was really nice meeting all of you." Emerson smiled warmly and then walked out.

* * *

"Wait what!?" Booth practically yelled, "So she might be your sister? That would practically guarantee a reopening of the case when your parents went missing." Booth swerved and tried to focused on not driving off the road.

"Yeah I should get the results back today." Brennan replied.

"You should have stayed with her Bones if she's your sister."

"Might be, that's different from is, and Angela texted me saying she left anyway. It's just I don't want to believe it, my parents went missing. That's all I have ever known. I don't want them to have had this secret double life and another kid they abandoned." Brennan shook her head.

Booth looked over at her, "Hey, let's just wait for the test results, okay? Then we'll deal with what's next."

_Beep beep beep_

Brennan received a text.

"Who is it?" Booth asked eagerly.

"It's the lab, the medic with my test results."

"And?" Booth prompted.

"Emerson and I share 53% of our DNA."

"So… what does that mean?" Booth asked.

Brennan looked out the window "It means the test was positive. Emerson is my sister."


	2. DNA

**Hey guys I hope you enjoy sorry it took me so long to post this next chapter. I hope you enjoy and please R&R :)**

* * *

Back at the lab, Hodgins, Angela, and Zack were looking over the victim when they all saw Brennan come running, in with Booth close behind, into her office.

Angela walked over to her office and saw Brennan thoroughly enthralled in a file.

"What's up? What happened?" Angela asked.

Booth pointed to the file, "The results…"

"And?" Angela prompted.

Brennan looked up, "Emerson, is my sister."

"Oh sweetie," Angela sat down, "What are you going to do?"

Brennan shook her head, "What can I do?"

"Talk to her," Booth interrupted, "tonight. I'll take you."

Brennan looked to Angela, "Ang-"

Angela smiled "Of course I'll go with you."

* * *

"This is it?" Brennan asked as they pulled up.

"Yeah, this is the address she left you."

"It looks horrible." Angela commented.

The house they pulled up to was three adjoining houses with a large wide cement staircase leading up to the front door. Off to the right side was a dirt drive way, beaten up shed and a worn down car that didn't look legally drivable.

Brennan grimaced and got out. They all walked up and Brennan knocked on the door.

"Hello?" A woman answered the door with her blonde hair pulled back into a loose bun, in her 50s, she looked nice enough.

Booth nudged Brennan

"Oh um hi", Brennan held out her hand, "I'm here to see my-, Emerson. Is she home?

The lady looked confused, "Oh, yes she is, what is this in regards too?"

Brennan looked uncomfortable, "I uh just need to speak to her, may I" Brennan gestured towards the door.

"Oh yes of course," The woman opened the door wider. "Please come in, she's upstairs in her room." She gestured to the staircase to the left.

Angela placed her bag down on the table before she and Brennan walked upstairs.

Emerson was sitting with her back to the door at her desk when she heard knocking. "Come in."

Brennan opened the door, "Emerson? Its Temperance, and Angela."

Emerson looked up and halfway turned in her chair so that they could only see half of her face, "Temperance, I wasn't expecting you." Brennan and Angela walked in and Angela sat on the edge of the bed while Brennan stood next to Emerson.

"I just came by to let you know that I got the test results. They came back positive. Our DNA is a match."

Emerson didn't even move, "I knew they would be."

"Uh yeah..."

"Okay. You can go now." Emerson said. Brennan looked at Angela.

"I-, I- don't understand Emerson. Today you came down to the lab to see me and now you don't want to."

"You shouldn't have come here Temperance." Emerson snapped. Everyone heard the door slam downstairs. Emerson jumped about a half foot in the air.

"Lynette? I'm home!" They heard a man bellow.

Emerson quickly stood up and turned around, "You guys really need to go."

"Oh my god." Angela leaned forward.

Temperance leaned forward "Emerson what happened to you face?" The whole left side of her face was deeply bruised and there was a fresh gash on her brow bone. Temperance placed one hand on Emerson's chin and the other on the side of her face to move it to see better.

"You didn't have this when you came into the lab earlier today?" Brennan said.

Emerson jerked her head away, "It's nothing" she said defensively, "I-, I fell. When I got back. Look you guys really need to go." Emerson tried to usher them out.

Brennan looked like she had more to say but Emerson was already walking down stairs. As they were walking downstairs Emerson could hear people talking.

"What the hell are you doing here? I didn't do anything?" Emerson's foster dad Ray, shouted.

Booth pointed to them, "See we're just here to see Emerson. I'm not here as the police right now."

Emerson walked over to Ray, "I'm sorry Ray, I didn't know they were coming I swear. I asked them to leave." Ray looked like he was going to hit Emerson.

Brennan whispered to Booth to look at Emerson's face, he noticed the contusions on her face.

"Emerson what happened to your face?" Booth asked.

"I tripped, it's nothing." Emerson seemed nervous.

"Are you sure that's what happened?" Booth inquired.

"Look buddy, she told you what happened? Okay now drop it! And I am going to have to ask you to leave, right now."

Brennan leaned over to Booth, "Booth there is no way that she fell you can see the outline a closed fist bruise above her eye."

"What do you want me to do bones?" He whispered before he turned to Ray, "Okay thank you sir, have a good night."

Brennan turned to Emerson before leaving who looked very scared. Angela smiled sympathetically and shut the door behind her.

At the bottom of the front steps Angela stopped. "Oh gosh guys I forgot my purse, I'm sorry let me go get it." Angela turned around and was right about to knock when she heard Emerson.

"Please don't-, ahh, I'm sorry I swear I didn't ask them to come." Emerson said. "Shut up!" She heard ray say.

Angela gestured to Booth, "Booth come here listen to this!" Angela urgently whispered.

Booth and Brennan leaned up against the door.

"Please I, uh, don't" Emerson pleaded. Boom. They heard something fall and then didn't hear anymore talking, except whimpering from someone.

Brennan looked at Booth, "Booth we have to go in, they could be hurting her!"

Booth nodded and knocked on the door. "Hello? Sir it's police open up now!" Booth didn't get an answer. "1…2…3" Booth kicked open the door.

Brennan, Angela, and Booth could see Emerson curled over on the ground with a fresh gash above her head, the bookcase next to her had fallen and she had been hit with a book. Emerson was clutching her stomach and Ray was looming over her with his leg poised to kick her abdomen again.

Booth pulled out his gun, "Sir! Step away from the child! Now!"

Brennan and Angela ran over to help Emerson up. Emerson whimpered in pain as they lifted her off the ground. Emerson panted, "N-, no. Please." Emerson, weakly standing, leaned over and threw up on the floor. Brennan looked at Emerson and then at Ray and slapped him hard across the face.

"Bones!" Booth exclaimed.

Brennan leaned into Ray, "If you ever lay a hand on her again, you'll be the one on the floor, throbbing in pain." Brennan and Angela both supported Emerson as they walked out, each holding one of her arms.

Booth lowered his gun and walked out after them. Once at the car, Brennan and Angela helped Emerson, who was severely injured, into the back seat


End file.
